LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Longtime entertainment columnist Army Archerd , who was one of the first writers to reveal that actor Rock Hudson was being treated for AIDS , has died at age 87 , according to the industry publication Daily Variety .

Army Archerd wrote a column for Variety for 52 years and was one of the first hosts of `` Entertainment Tonight . ''

Archerd , who began his journalism career at The Associated Press , wrote a show business column for Variety for 52 years , four years of that online .

Archerd died Tuesday at Los Angeles Medical Center of a rare form of mesothelioma , a type of lung cancer thought to be the result of his exposure to asbestos in the Navy during World War II .

Archerd , Variety said , had an ongoing role in the Academy Awards , where he was the official greeter , and interviewed stars on the red carpet .

Archerd 's biggest scoop came in 1985 when he reported -- despite denials from managers and publicists -- that Hudson had AIDS . It was the first time it was publicly revealed that a Hollywood actor had the disease .

Archerd 's wife of 39 years , Selma , told Variety , `` He did n't expose secrets about other people -- he wrote news . He was a loving , quiet person . He was always working -- when we went on vacation , we went to visit movie sets . ''

Although much of Archerd 's work was nonconfrontational , when film director Elia Kazan was to be given a honorary Oscar in 1999 for his work , Archerd wrote , `` I , for one , will not be giving him a standing ovation . ''

Kazan had provided testimony in 1952 to the House Un-American Activities Committee , admitted past membership in the Communist party and named others from his group .

`` Army 's finest hour was his courageous stand against the blacklist at a time when almost all other Hollywood columnists were red-hunting , '' said Peter Bart , vice president and editorial director of Variety . `` He really was a passionate reporter and a champion of causes he believed in . ''

Archerd was the first journalist honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and won numerous other awards . He also was one of the first hosts of `` Entertainment Tonight . ''

Archerd was born January 13 , 1922 , in the Bronx , New York . He attended City College of New York for two years . When his family moved to Los Angeles , Archerd transferred to UCLA and , after graduation in 1941 , he began work in the mailroom at Paramount Studios .

After serving in the Navy , Archerd met AP reporter Bob Thomas , who introduced him to bureau chief Hubbard Keavy . Thomas and Archerd opened the AP bureau in the Hollywood Citizen News on Wilcox Avenue in 1945 .

In 1953 , Daily Variety editor Joe Schoenfeld hired Archerd to replace columnist Sheilah Graham . Archerd began penning the daily `` Just for Variety '' column . His 900-word column ran on page 2 of Daily Variety five days a week until the 1990s , when it went to four days a week .

Archerd often used his power to support his favorite causes , including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Holocaust awareness .

`` When Michael Jackson 's ` HIStory ' album was released in 1995 , Archerd chastised Jackson for a song in which he used the phrases ` Jew me/Sue me ' and ` Kike me , ' '' Variety said . `` A few days later , Jackson called the columnist to disclose that he would re-record the song . ''

Archerd was president and founder of the Hollywood Press Club and received honors from that group and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , as well as Newsman of the Year from the Publicists Association .

Archerd is survived by his wife , Selma ; his son , Evan ; and stepsons Richard and James Rosenblum . A daughter , Amanda , died in 2008 .

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Army Archerd died of a rare form of mesothelioma , a type of lung cancer

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He was the first journalist honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

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Archerd was president and founder of the Hollywood Press Club

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He began writing for Daily Variety in 1953